Red Rose of Death
by midnightdream94
Summary: Three long years he's waited for her...and he found her; but she's different. A story of friendship, bravery, and love. Could Hermione cope to a new life, or will she need Ron to take her hand and guide her?
1. A lock of Hair

Hermione knew it was all over for her

Hermione knew it was all over for her. She had been living in this slum for too long. All she had been doing was crying her eyes out, trying to figure out where Harry was...where Ron was. Was she ever to see them again? Or was this the end? She truly couldn't believe this but she felt all alone. She had never felt this way since her first year, before she had Ron and Harry as her friends.

"Ron," Hermione breathed. She sank back, against the wall. Her eyes as red as the blood that pumped through her veins.

_Serge of affliction_

_Churning through absents_

_Put to sedation_

_To conquer the impediment_

For these past three years, Hermione had been isolated from everyone. She only went out for food and even when she did, she made sure to come back to her flat as fast as she could. She had moved right after the defeat of Voldemort. Hermione told Ron and Harry that she went to find her parents, but she never did. She looked for over a year and she couldn't find them in Australia. After that, she moved away to a small London town. Losing all her money, she was forced to live in the flat she lives in now. Her life had an unexpected turn.

Hermione knew Ron was to look for her but she couldn't force herself to look for him. How could she tell him she had lost her parents, her money, her life? She knew she couldn't and that was the reason why she left; shielding herself from all the harm that was humanity, she knew she was leaving behind the love for her friends, the Weasley family, and Hogwarts.

Now she sat on the floor as a mouse scurried past her. Her eyes cried milky tears; tears, to someone else would mean grief or love, but to her they were tears of loss and agony.

_Shear pane breaks the glass_

_Like all mortality_

_Agony wishes to pass_

_Solemnly_

She drank the water that was in her hands, trying to speak but nothing came out. Some people would turn to alcohol or drugs to calm themselves down; to show them they were still people; but Hermione didn't dare do that…she knew nothing would help her. She had already jeopardized her health, happiness, and her love.

Her hands shook as she tried to lift herself up from the floor. Her frail body collapsed at once, but she forced herself to get up. Every day that went by was like a needle piercing her skin. She forced herself to breathe, to live, to try to hope for an outcome that wouldn't be death.

As she walked, trying not to fall on the floor, she heard a soft knock; a knock inaudible to any creature that would have something to live for; a knock that shocked Hermione and made her collapse on the floor and close her eyes.

_But death do us apart_

_Strikes rigorously_

_blood doesn't enter the heart_

_As mortality enters icily_

She felt soft silk glide through her skin gentle. She smiled softly as she knew she had come to heaven. She opened her eyes slowly, hoping to see angels flying around her, but as she opened her eyes, she saw none of the sort; she only saw a door. She tried to lift herself up, but a force didn't let her. Someone was in the room, but whom?

"Shhh Hermione, don't get up," a voice said. It was so familiar to Hermione. It was a voice she hadn't heard for nearly three years; a voice full of comfort and love.

She took a deep breath and turned around to see a lock of hair pass her eyes. A lock of hair she hadn't seen for so long; a lock of red hair.


	2. A Shed of Hope

Hermione lifted herself up fiercely only to feel her head throb, causing her body to ache all over the place

Hermione lifted herself up fiercely only to feel her head throb, causing her body to ache all over the place. She dropped back onto her pillow and thought of another approach.

"Why did you bring me here? I had left for so long and yet you still went looking for me. Why couldn't you let me be?" Hermione said, screaming the last part. She knew she had frightened her red-haired friend; she felt the atmosphere change around her.

_Blood drips _

_Enchantment fades_

_Dry lips_

_Illuminates the hate_

"Hermione, if I hadn't come for you, you would have died!" He paused for a moment and looked at the window. "Look, I wanted to find you no matter what. You left without anything; not even a letter to where you were going after you found your parents. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't go looking for you." Hermione didn't dare look at him; she didn't dare look into those soft blue eyes of his. She had thought she lost him, but it was the other way. He had lost her.

"Ron, you don't understand. I'm not supposed to be here; I'm supposed to be at my flat, not here in yours. You just don't understand."

"Then let me!" he screamed, making Hermione wince. Tears stung her eyes, but she forced herself not to let them out. "For three years Hermione, I didn't hear from you. You just expect me to forget you; forget everything that we had?" he said, standing up and leaning against the door. "I can't Hermione, I just can't." He looked at Hermione one last time and then opened the door and left.

_That comes and goes_

_Inside everyone_

_But bestows a gift_

_Prolonging a sinful sun_

Hermione stared at the door for a long time, wishing it would never open again. She knew Ron was mad; mad at her for leaving, but he didn't know what she went through…he would never know, Hermione hoped. She turned her head to the side, staring at the sun that peaked out of the shades. As a tear fell down her cheek, she heard a bird chirp a soft tune. A tune she would carry all her life.

After what seemed like years, Hermione woke up. Her stomach growled as she lifted herself up from the bed. A tray of food lay on her bed: chicken soup, a big piece of bread, a hot cup of Strawberry tea and a rose. Hermione crawled to the food she missed and started attacking it as if she was an animal. She hadn't had normal food for two years already. She bought frozen foods and fruits at the store, but that was it. To have a home cooked meal was like heaven in her mouth. She took a deep breath as she swallowed down the last spoonful of chicken soup. She had eaten everything except the rose, which she took and smelled. Roses had a special smell that Hermione always loved, but this one smelled nothing like a rose. To her it smelled like Ron; the smell she missed all these years.

_As happiness drips_

_In tears of misery_

_Its seeps_

_Unwittingly_

_Goodbyes shape the heart_

_The soul utters the path_

_Lifeless opens darts_

_To help open the rose of Death _

She put the tray, which all the food had been on, on the floor and stood up. She felt bloated to the stomach and could finally feel her hands again. But, she was still weak; weaker then a dog on a dreary day. She wanted to go back to her flat, to cry all night and force herself to breathe every time she woke up from the floor; but something that hadn't been there before told her not to; something she knew was hope.

She shook the thought from her head and walked to the door. As she opened it, the smell of food hypnotized her.

"That smell," she said as she walked to where the smell was coming from. She hadn't had a feeling like this since she was at the Burrow and she knew she wouldn't have it in a long time.

As she walked into the kitchen, she stopped abruptly for, in the kitchen, Ronald Weasley was cooking food in his underwear. Hermione's eyes popped open and she quickly turned around. She took a deep breath and slowly walked away, making sure not to make a noise. But that didn't work for she had stumbled right into a box that was on the floor and was now jumping around, holding her toe. She cursed herself for being so clumsy.

"Oi, Hermione are you alright," she heard Ron say as he ran to her. She released her toe, as she felt Ron's warm hand go around her shoulder. Hermione turned around, her eyes closed and nodded.

She suddenly felt the room spin as the aroma of the food made her sway side to side; collapsing on the floor, she tried to open her eyes, but her conscious was slowly slipping as she tuned into a soft slumber.

A tune so familiar stung her ears as Hermione woke up. The birds outside chirped the tune that she had etched in her memory. Slowly, she tried to regain conscience. Fluttering open her eyes, she was in the same bed that she was only a mere while ago. Hermione looked around the room. There he was…Ronald Weasley in a white shirt and black jeans, snoring loudly. Hermione stopped her train of thought. What was wrong with her? For the last couple of years she felt herself lose hope, feelings of agony and despair entering instead. And there she was, talking as if she had always been here…as she had always had him and nothing had ever changed.

Had him; Hermione had never used that word about Ronald Weasley…never. She took a deep breath and tried to make the feelings go away, but it seemed as if a new her was blossoming…the Hermione there was before her years of agony. But how could she feel this way? She only stayed in this house for less then forty-eight hours? How?

She slowly got out of the bed and walked to where she saw her coat.  
_I need to get out of here_ she said to herself. As she opened the door slowly, she heard Ron stir, but he didn't wake up. She ran down the hall and put on her coat as fast as she could. The faster she left this place, the better.

Running down the stairs of the old flat building, she saw the door. _Freedom_ she thought to herself. Running outside, she felt the air against her skin. But then she realized, she didn't even know where she was.

"Where am I to go!" she said frantically to no one in particular. She stood there for a moment, thinking about going to an alley, when a door behind her opened. Turning around, she saw Ron running toward her.

"RON LET ME GO! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, I DON'T BELONG HERE," Hermione screamed as Ron held her by the waist.

"Her-mio-ne, calm down, just let me talk to you," he said through gritted teeth. Hermione squirmed around in his arms, trying to escape his grasp, but he was to strong.

"RON JUST LET ME GO PLEASE! I JUST KNOW I CAN'T LIVE IN A WORLD LIKE THIS! RON PLEASE!" Hermione was already crying so hard, trying to rip from him. He soothed her back, trying to calm her down.

"Hermione, we're in this together. I know you're still there; isolating yourself from everyone is just going to harm you."

"NO RON, YOU DON'T KNOW. RON YOU DON'T KNOW."

"Then let me know; let me find out. Hermione, please." Hermione suddenly stopped and dropped to her knees, crying her eyes out. She was too weak to fight him.

"You just don't get it, Ron. I live differently then you; I have for the past three years. You would never understand the person I am now, NEVER! I just want to go home and die peacefully, Ron," Hermione said through sobs. Ron was holding her. He picked her head up softly and looked at her eyes.

"I will always understand you Hermione Granger, no matter who you are. And if you don't let me, then I will find a way to. You can never escape me because I will always find you." Hermione looked at him, trying to avert her gaze, but her head wouldn't move.

She stood up suddenly, one of Ron's arms still gripping her waist tightly, and looked at the grass she had just been sobbing on. She heard the tune of the birds in the distance, the tune that was etched in her mind. Maybe there really was hope for her.


End file.
